Toy machine gun



June 29, 1937 L. v. ARQQSON 2,085,566

TOY MACH I NE GUN Filed Aug. 24, 1933 2 Sheefs-Sheet l INVENTOR loais Aronson June 29, 1937. L. y. ARONSON TOY MACHINE GUN Filed Aug. 24, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6L zgn. 33,

I k 1 2 46* 25 22 a 2: -44 Z41, 31d C1, g E A 9 J I" l i Z 9 I, MT, I'l l L 1 1 I? "H I, I 5 0 will I I II I :18 F 13 I 9/ 1:] W N A 14 Jflfi w I a- 5 1 v Fr 5 30 v Z40 3a 26 25a INVENTOR Louis VAmrzsm Y B 0 24.0 1% a- MA ATTORNEY;

' and 3, the spring 6 being spring arrangement, 6.

Patented June 29, 1937 PATENT OFFICE TOY MACHINE GUN Louis V. Aronson,

Newark, N. J., assignor to Art Metal Works, Inc., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 24,

9 Claims.

My invention relates to toys, and more particularly, to toy guns such, for example, as toy machine guns.

In accordance with my invention, a toy machine gun is provided with mechanism for automatically affecting the passage, in rapid succession, of showers or puffs of sparks from the barrel of the gun.

Various other objects, advantages and features of my inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description.

My invention resides in the toy gun, combinations and arrangements of the character herein after described and claimed.

For an understanding of my invention and for an illustration of some of the many forms thereof, reference is tobe had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of ,a toy machine gun assembly as constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the machine gun assembly shown in Fig. 1;

25 Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, and is taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of the assembly shown in Fig. 1;

' Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, and is taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4

looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View, partly in elevation, and is taken on the line 6-45 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. '7 is a perspective view illustrating parts of my novel mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, i represents any suitable base having a pair of plates 2 and 3 upstanding therefrom and, secured thereto in any suitable manner, said plates 2 and 3 being maintained in spaced relation by suitable transverse members. Journaled in the plates 2 and 3 is a transversely disposed shaft 4 actuatable by a suitable winding key 5, Fig. 3. Secured tothe shaft 4 is one end of alflat spring 6, the other end of which may be suitably anchored to a member I supported transversely in the plates 2 the usual type of clock spring well known tothe art. Fixed to the shaft 4 for rotatable movement therewith is a ratchet Wheel 8 which, as shown in Fig. 3, is disposed at one side of and immediately adjacent the spiral The ratchet disk 6 is a disk-like member having a pawl tooth from left to resilient ,8a. inherently biased in a direction 1933, Serial No. 686,517

right, Fig. 3, and is disposed flatwise against a pinion 9 loosely mounted on the shaft 4, said pinion 9 being provided with a plurality of radial slots 9a engageable one at a time by the pawl tooth 8a. The pinion 9 is maintained in oper- 5 ative position on the shaft 4 by a hub l0 rotatable with said shaft 4 and having a disk face Illa engaging one face of said pinion 9.

The pinion 9 meshes with and drives a pinion l l rotatable with a shaft 12 journaled in the afore- 10 said plates 2 and 3. Rotatable with this shaft I2 is a cam disk l3 having a plurality of low surfaces l3a, the latter being utilizable as hereinafter described. The shaft I2 also carries a pinion 14 which is fixed thereto and which meshes 15 with a pinion I5 rotatable with a shaft I6 journaled in the plates 2 and 3. The shaft I6 has rotatable therewith a, second pinion H which meshes with and drives a pinion 18 mounted on a shaft 19 journaled in the plates 2 and 3. The 20 shaft l9 has a second pinion 2|] fixed thereto for rotatable movement therewith, said pinion 2|] meshing with and driving a pinion 2| rotatable with a-shaft 22 journaled in said plates'2 and 3. The shaft 22 has a wheel 23-rotatable therewith, 25 the wheel 23 having its outer peripheral surface 23a formed from suitable abradant material such, for example, as is customarily used in the pyrophoric spark-producing art for coaction with the pyrophoric metal. As clearly appears from a consideration of Figs. 4 and 5, the plate 2 carries a loosely pivoted lever 24 having a knob section 24a. The lever 24 also comprises asection 24b which extends laterally toward the wheel 23 and then interiorly between the plates 2 and 3, said section 24b terminating in a detent section 240 coactable, for locking purposes, with the aforesaid pinion 2|. With the lever 24 in the position shown in Fig. 4, the lever detent section 240 coacts with the pinion 2| and prevents operation of the hereinbefore described train of pinions. At this time, the key '5 maybe operated to cause rotation of the shaft 4 in a counter-clockwise direction, Fig. 4, such movement of the shaft 4 serving to rotate the ratchet disk 8 in a similar direction with respect to the stationary pinion 9, and to wind the spring 6. Upon completion of the winding operation, pressure on the key 5 may be relieved whereupon the shaft 4 moves slightly in 5 a clockwise direction, Fig. 4, until theratchet disk 8 carried thereby comes into locking engagement at its pawl tooth section 8a with one of the slots 9a of the pinions. 7

After the spring 6 has been wound, the lever slow rotative movement of the pinion 9 under the direct influence of the spring r The plate 2 comprises an upwardly extending section 20. and, similarly, the plate 3 comprises an upwardly extending section 30., Fig. 6, these sections 2a and 3a being provided with apertures transversely alined for the reception of the lateral end sections 25a and 25b of a lever 25 which comprises a horizontal section 25c'and a'section 2501 depending between the plates 2 and 3 "and terminating in a nose section 25c coactable with the .aforesaid cam disk 13. ,As clearly shown in Fig. 7, the end section 25b of the lever 25 comprises an extension 25f forming a fixed support for one end of alever 26 which is connected to the lever 25 by a pin 21. The lever 26 terminates in a lateral section 28 which is disposed above the wheel 23, said lateral section 28 carrying an element 29 formed of pyrophoric material which, when engaged with the. abradant surface 23a of the wheel 23, is adapted. to produce a shower of sparks.

The horizontal section 250 of the lever 25 7 comprises an upstanding section 25g which,- in

suitable manner, supports a-figure 30, Fig. 6, simulating the header a helmeted soldier.

On. opposite sides of the abradant wheel 23, the plates 2 and 3 define the respective upstanding sections 2b and 3b which form a support for a frame structure 3| secured thereto in any suitable manner, said frame-structure 3| comprisinga horizontal section 3 la, a rearwardly inclined section MD, .a front vertical section 3Ic, and a front inclined section 3ld. The front vertical section 3| 0 of the frame structure forms a support for a horizontally disposed gun barrel 32 which preferably isprovided with transverse apertures 32a. The section 3b of the plate 3 is provided with a slot thru which extends the aforesaid lateral section 28 of the lever 26, Fig. 2.

Resting upon and suitably secured to the horizontal section 3la; of the frame structure 3! is a plate 33 having an inclined section 33a disposed in front of the helmeted figure 30, said inclined section having a peep hole 33b. The plate 33 may also comprise spaced, depending sections 330 forming a notch toward and into which the helmeted figure30 is movable in the manner hereinafter described. I The aforesaid base I is adapted to carry a casing 34 which forms a housing for the herein described gearmechanism and which is adapted to be secured to the base I in any suitable manner, asby the lugmembers la. The casing 34 is providedwith an aperture 34a through which projects the gun barrel 32 and associated supporting structure, the helmeted figure 30, and the lever2l5. p 7

As is clearly shown on the drawings, the easing 34 is shaped, as at 35, so v as to constitute the, representation of a reclining soldier whose left arm 35w extends forwardly and appears to 'hold'what appears to be'the housing of the machine gun as represented by the parts 3a, 3b,

head of this soldier while the color and'configuration of the lever 2| represents the soldiers right arm.

The casing 34 simulates an embankment and is suitably colored with this end in view. The figure of the reclining soldier is also suitably colored so as to impart a realistic appearance to the toy as an entirety. To an observer, therefore, it appears that the soldier is reclining on the slope of an embankment and that his hands are extended forwardly so as to hold the machine gun in operative position with the plate 33 serving as a shield against the bullets of the enemy, the machine gun housing as represented by the pants 3a, 3b, 3|, etc. also having a characteristic color contributing to the effect presented by the device as a whole.

There hereinbefore described lever section 25d is so pivoted that it is biased, under the influence of gravity, so as to swing in a clockwise direction, Fig. 4. The nose section 25c of this lever 25d is coactable with the cam disk 13 and, when said nose section 256 is received within one of the low surfaces I 30. of said cam disk l3, the lever 26 is in its lower position with the pyrophoric element 29 resting upon the wheel 23, and the upstanding section 259 of the lever 25 together with the helmeted section 30 carried thereby are in forwardly inclined positions. When the aforesaid nose section 25a is related to the cam disk I 3 as shown in Figs. 4 and 7, the lever 26 is in an upward position with the pyrophoric element 29'removed from the wheel 23, and the lever section 259 together with the helmeted section 30 carried thereby occupy their upper positions.

Assuming that the spring 3 has been wound by insertion of the key 5 through'the opening 34b provided therefor in the casing 3 5, the lever 24 may be moved counter-clockwise, Fig. 4, to remove its locking detent section 240 from engagement with the pinion 2|. As a result, under the influence of the wound spring 6, operation of the train of pinions is effected whereby the wheel 23 rotates at a rapid rate and the cam disk l3 rotates at a substantially less rapid rate. During continuous rotation of the cam disk I3, the lever section 2511 is oscillated whereby, through the chain of connections, the pyrophoric element 29 is moved rapidly into and out of engagement with the wheel 23. Each time that the pyrophoric element 29 engages the abradant surface 23a of the wheel 23, a shower of sparks are produced and, inasmuch as the gun barrel, 32 is positioned substantially tangentially with respect to the periphery of the wheel 23 at the spot engaged by the pyrophoric element 29, it follows that these sparks are discharged through the gun barrel 32 and pass from the end thereof to thereby simulate the discharge of a gun, said sparks also being viewable through the openings 32a to thereby enhance the desired effect.

The aforesaid movement of the pyrophoric elevment 29 into engagementwith the wheel 23 is effected directly in response to downward movement of the lever 26 under the control of the pin 21, and since this lever represents the right arm of the reclining soldier, it appears to an observer that downward movement of the soldiers right arm causes the discharge of the gun.

As clearly appears from the foregoing description, movement of the lever section 259 is timed with the movement of the lever 26. Therefore, the helmeted figure 30 or. the representation of the soldiers head oscillates'b'ackward and forward in synchronism with lever 26 or the representation of the soldiers right arm. To an observer, it appears, therefore, that the soldier is intermittently moving his head downwardly in order to observe his target through the peep hole 331) of the member 33a.

After the spring 6 has been unwound, the looking detent 240 of lever 24 may be returned to the position shown in Fig. 4 to thereby lock the train of pinion mechanism. Thereupon, the key 5 may be actuated to wind the spring 6 and place the device in condition for subsequent operation.

' While the invention has been described with respect to a certain particular preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a figure representative of a human being, of a continuously rotating wheel having an abradant surface, a pyrophoric 7 element intermittently movable into engagement with said wheel to produce successive showers of sparks, a' structure simulating a gun barrel traversed by said sparks as they pass from said wheel,

and means whereby a part of said figure is moved substantially in synchronism with the production of said showers of sparks.

2. The combination with a figure representative of a human being, of a continuously rotating wheel having an abradant peripheral surface, a pyrophoric element intermittently movable into engagement with said wheel to produce successive showers of sparks, a structure simulating a gun barrel tangentially disposed with respect to said wheel, said gun barrel being traversed by sparks as they pass from said wheel, and means whereby a part of said figure is moved substantially in synchronism with the production of said showers of sparks.

3. In combination, mechanism for producing successive showers of pyrophoric sparks, a casing for said mechanism, a toy machine gun. having a structure simulating a gun barrel projecting from said casing, said gun barrel being traversed 1 by said sparks, and a figure associated with and forming a part of said casing, said figure being representative of a reclining soldier serving as the operator of said machine gun.

4. In combination, mechanism for producing successive showers of pyrophoric sparks, a casing for said mechanism, a toy machine gun having a structure simulating a gun barrel projecting from said casing, said gun barrel being traversed by said sparks, and a figure on said casing representative of a reclining soldier serving as the operator of said machine gun, said figure comprising a lever representing an arm of said soldier, and means for oscillating said lever in synchronism with the production of said showers of sparks.

5. In. combination, mechanism for producing successive showers of pyrophoric sparks, a casing for said mechanism, a toy machine gun having a structure simulating a gun barrel projecting from said casing, said gun barrel being traversed by said sparks, a figure on said casing representative of a reclining soldier serving as the operator of said machine gun, said figure comprising a pair of levers, one representing an arm of said soldier and the other forming a support for the soldiers head, and means for oscillating said levers in synchronism with the production of said showers of sparks.

6. In combination, mechanism for producing sparks, a casing for said mechanism, said casing simulating an embankment, a toy machine gun having a structure simulating a gun barrel projecting from said casing, said gun barrel being traversed by said sparks, and a figure associated with said casing, said figure being representative of a soldier serving as the operator of said machine gun.

7. In combination, mechanism for producing sparks, a casing for said mechanism, said casing simulating an embankment, a toy machine gun having a structure simulating a gun barrel projecting from said casing, said gun barrel being traversed by said sparks, a figure associated with said casing, said figure being representative of a soldier serving as the operator of said machine gun, and means whereby a part of said figure is moved substantially in synchronism with the op eration of said mechanism.

8. The combination with a figure representative of a human being, of a wheel having an abradant surface, a train of pinion mechanism for rotating said wheel, a pyrophoric element, means operated by said pinion mechanism for intermittently moving said pyrophoric element into engagement with said wheel, said means comprising a cam operated by said pinion mechanism and a lever actuated thereby, said lever controlling movement of said pyrophoric element, and means whereby a part of said figure is moved by said cam.

9. A toy machine gun provided with an elongated body structure adapted tobe supported substantially horizontally, a structure simulating the muzzle of the gun, said gun muzzle structure projecting from said body structure, a motor in said body structure to the rear of and below said gun muzzle, an abrasive wheel driven by said motor, speed-increasing gearing between said motor and said abrasive wheel, and a pyrophoric element arranged to engage said abrasive wheel in such relation that sparks are passed in substantially a horizontal direction at the muzzle oi the gun.

Louis v. ARONSON. 

